Hallelujah: ‘Touchdown Jesus’ Will Be Resurrected

The police say lightning initially sparked the right hand of “Touchdown Jesus,” burning the landmark statue to the ground. The good news: He’ll be back. (via Dayton Daily News)

In life, it was a sight to behold: the soaring “King of Kings” statue in Monroe, Ohio (see the best photos here). But the inferno on June 14 that leveled the statue was every bit as astonishing to witness (watch the blaze here).

Now officials at Solid Rock Church, where the statue was located, say they plan to have the icon rebuilt and restored.

Talking to the Dayton Daily News, Monroe police chief Mark Neu said that some $700,000 in damage was caused by the fire that lasted only a few minutes. He said that all indications are that lightning sparked the statue’s right hand – a belief confirmed by eyewitness accounts that said the hand caught fire first.

As photos surfaced on June 15 of the smoking rubble, there was no indication as to how quickly the statue might be rebuilt or restored.